First-ever Travis County fentanyl murder charge highlights Texas crackdown efforts

Posted on February 5, 2025 by TCYSAPC

AUSTIN – A man is facing a murder charge for his alleged connection with the August 2024 death of a 22-year-old man that was caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, its first fentanyl-related murder warrant.

TCSO said it secured … Continue to full story .......

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Addressing The Link Between Trauma And Addiction

Posted on February 1, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Many Americans have experienced traumatic events, toxic stress, and other types of adversity in childhood. However, repeated exposure to trauma and adversity in childhood predicts a variety of poor health outcomes, including the development of substance use disorder (SUD).

Population-level research, neuroscience, epigenetics, and other fields have established that the

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Del Valle man sentenced to 10 years for distributing fentanyl-laced pills

Posted on January 30, 2025 by TCYSAPC

fentanylA 22-year-old Del Valle man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for distributing fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Gabriel Cecilio Osorio was investigated in 2023; a search of his home revealed an additional 3,700 pills, a money counter, a digital scale, four firearms, and $45,701 in … Continue to full story .......

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SUD Treatment Month: Substance Use Disorders Treatment Options Provided by SAMHSA

Posted on January 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Many people make new promises to their health and well-being at the beginning of the year. To emphasize the value of expanding access to treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), SAMHSA is launching “SUD Treatment Month” in January. This annual observance will be dedicated to spreading awareness about the effectiveness … Continue to full story .......

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Cannabis regulation, not bans, will help public safety, Rice University’s Baker Institute report says

Posted on January 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

The rapid growth of cannabis products in Texas, combined with growing consumer safety concerns, has led some lawmakers to propose a ban on the hemp industry. However, experts from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy say this approach is unlikely to effectively reduce access to products or improve public

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Alcohol-related deaths in U.S. jumped 29 percent in 5 years, here’s why, according to experts

Posted on January 15, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Favorite Brew Alcohol Content - Beers And ShenanigansIn the United States, deaths tied to excessive alcohol use rose 29 percent in just five years, according to federal data out this week, an increase that has alarmed experts.   study published this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated an annual average of nearly 138,000 people

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What counts as ‘binge drinking’? What about ‘high-intensity drinking’?

Posted on January 8, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Episodes of “binge drinking” can have dangerous short-term effects, while repeated binge drinking can trigger longer-term problems. During the festive season and other times of celebration, alcohol often flows freely. But how much is too much? In short, what counts as “binge drinking,” and what are the potential health

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As Austinites celebrate Dry January, US surgeon warns alcohol comes with increased cancer risk

Posted on January 8, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Alcohol may soon come with a warning labelKUDOS TO U.S. SURGEON GENERAL VIVEK MURTHY FOR RELEASING THE ALCOHOL AND CANCER RISK REPORT after the U.S. Surgeon General announced Friday that alcohol is linked with an increased risk for cancer. The report recommended a call for those warning labels and reassessing the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk. It stated

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Texas’ War on Drug Users: Texas Observer article recounts the April 2024 mass overdose event in Austin

Posted on January 8, 2025 by TCYSAPC

ATCEMS... - Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical ServicesOver the last weekend of April 2024, something in Austin’s drug supply went horribly wrong.  The first deaths passed largely unnoticed by anyone other than the families and friends of those who consumed the tainted substances. An 8-year-old girl who’d been playing outside her apartment in northeast Travis County … Continue to full story .......

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TX LEGE ’25: TX Senate to pursue ban on THC products next year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says

Posted on December 29, 2024 by TCYSAPC

Cannabis-derived products like delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC have flooded the US market – two immunologists explain the medicinal benefits and potential risksLieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced this month that he will back a bill to ban all THC products from being sold in Texas.  In his announcement, Patrick uses words like “unsafe” and “unregulated” to describe THC products being sold.   Despite growing public support, Texas continues its challenges to the legalization

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What is the state of xylazine or ‘tranq’ in Texas?

Posted on December 29, 2024 by TCYSAPC

Atipamezole HCl 20 mg/mL - Non-Domestics & Exotics Reversals For Veterinarian Use - NexGenVetRx.comIn March 2023, the DEA, issued an alert about the widespread threat of fentanyl with xylazine, or tranq – a non-opiate sedative in the U.S. for veterinary use.  Months later, Travis County announced its first overdose deaths in which xylazine was detected. Since then, xylazine deaths have not significantly increased

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Most US teens are abstaining from drinking, smoking and marijuana, survey says

Posted on December 29, 2024 by TCYSAPC

AP — Teen drug use hasn’t rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results from a large annual national survey.  About two-thirds of 12th graders this year said they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. That’s

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